Shehbaz writes to Biden for Dr Aafia’s release

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter to US President Joe Biden, seeking release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is languishing in a US jail for the least nearly 16 years.

“Now 52 years old, she has spent approximately 16 years behind bars in the US,” the PM said in his letter, which was written on Oct 13. He sought US president’s intervention in the matter “that deserves to be viewed with compassion”. Aafia Siddiqui is being kept at the Federal Medical Centre Carswell in Texas currently. The PM pointed that numerous Pakistani officials have paid consular visits to Ms. Siddiqui at the prison facility over the years and raised “serious concerns about the treatment she has received”.

The treatment meted out to her has severely impacted her already fragile mental and frail physical health. Shehbaz praised President Biden for passionately fighting for rights of US citizens, particularly those stranded or held captive abroad.

The PM said it was his “solemn duty” as Pakistan’s prime minister to intervene when it becomes absolutely necessary to ensure a citizen’s well-being, particularly when the circumstances are as dire as they are in her case.

“Keeping these facts in view, I request you, Mr. President, to kindly exercise your constitutional authority and accept Dr Siddiqui’s clemency petition and order her release, strictly on humanitarian grounds,” Shehbaz said.

He also said that he trusted Biden to accord the most serious consideration that the request deserves. “Her family, and millions of my fellow citizens join me in seeking your blessings for a favourable outcome of this request,” the PM added.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, was indicted by a New York federal district court in Sept 2008 on charges of attempted murder and assault, stemming from an incident during an interview with the US authorities in Ghazni, Afghanistan. However, she denied charges against her.

She was tried and awarded 86-year jail term.

Meanwhile, Aafia Movement leader and the noted neurophysician of the country Dr Fowzia Siddiqui warmly welcomed the prime minister for writing a letter to the US administration regarding the release of Pakistani woman scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

Earlier, the government of Pakistan officially requested a presidential pardon for Dr Aafia Siddiqui, currently imprisoned in the United States.

During a hearing on the ongoing efforts for her release and repatriation, the Additional Attorney General, Mansoor Iqbal Dogal, informed the court that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter to the US President, seeking a pardon for Siddiqui.

Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan presided over the case, which was filed by Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, the sister of Aafia Siddiqui, requesting the government’s efforts for her release and safe return to Pakistan. Advocate Imran Shafiq appeared in court on behalf of Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, emphasising the urgency of the matter and expressing hopes that the letter would pave the way for her repatriation.

Later commenting on this positive development, Dr Fowzia Siddiqui said that the government now should take continuous efforts to seek early release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. She said the whole nation is behind the government because it is showing seriousness to safeguard the rights of its citizens. She said this is the first step and the government now needs to build momentum. She said delegations should also be sent to the US for this purpose. She said the Pakistani citizens should write letters to the US president for the release of Dr Aafia on clemency and humanitarian grounds.

She said the step of the government to write letter for the release of its citizens would further improve the status of Pakistan. She said if the government continued to take such brave steps it could even break the debt trap of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Meanwhile, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor welcomed the government of Pakistan letter to the US administration regarding the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. He said this is the first time that the government of Pakistan has taken a really serious step for any citizen illegally jailed abroad. He said we highly appreciate the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for this brave move and hope that the government would continue to safeguard the rights of its citizens.